Welcome Aboard
by Inkess
Summary: The story of ME1 told through the eyes of Teresa Shepard and Garrus Vakarian from the moment they first met. Prequel to No Shepard Without Vakarian/Rhapsody in Green. (Active.)
1. A Meeting to Remember

**These are the same Shepard and Garrus from NSWV/Rhapsody in Green. In those two fics I often mentioned events from the first two games. I pretty much made up the entire story about them, but never put it to paper. This fic is here to correct that, and it will cover the events from ME1. No Shakarian yet, because in my headcanon they didn't get together until ME2 (there will be some Shenko, but it's not in the focus).**

* * *

_Chapter 1: A Meeting to Remember_

If there was one thing that Garrus liked about his job, it was his private office. He got it when he was promoted to senior investigator. There were no prying eyes over his shoulder and inquisitive questions breaking his concentration. He could take the case at his own pace. And this was a difficult case with a very short deadline, demanding his fullest dedication.

When Pallin invited him to his office – much more spacious than his own – yesterday, offering the biggest case he worked on yet, Garrus had hoped it meant that his boss finally trusted him and his abilities. That he was giving him an opportunity to prove himself and leave behind his past transgressions, protocol breaches, and spirits only knew what kind of black spots existing on his record.

Instead, he was now convinced this case was a rock tied around his neck, and Pallin had thrown him in one of the Presidium's water tank lakes. He could feel water closing above him and entering his lungs.

Everywhere he turned, he saw only tripwires made from red tape. Everywhere he went, he kept bumping into glass walls left by classified files. Every contact he turned to didn't have anything for him, or at least claimed so. It was a frustrating mess.

A rogue Spectre could be hunted down only by another Spectre. Garrus had heard this tale many times since he was a kid, but always dismissed it as a fairytale. Now, staring at another report from Eden Prime – and he was almost sure that the word _classified_ laughed at his C-Sec clearance – he was ready to admit that he was wrong. He was also ready to admit he never felt sorrier for not taking that special training offered to prospective turians as he did now.

Garrus closed the offending report and pulled up what he knew, and it wasn't much. The rogue Spectre in question was Saren Arterius, the Council's pride and joy. Of course everything he touched was classified. A C-Sec investigator, no matter how good he was, stood no chance. He stroked the back of his neck nervously. The gesture would usually help him relax, but all it did now was making him even more winded. The mere look of Saren's icy blue eyes made his plates itch.

It wasn't just his eyes. Saren was barefaced – literally. It wasn't just a figure of speech meaning he wasn't trustworthy. Garrus didn't think he was a really good turian, but he wore the markings of the Clan Vakarian with certain pride. His clan and family always stood with the Hierarchy, and he had an inborn dislike of separatists and other barefaced lot, Saren included. Especially Saren, in fact. The turian agent was the epitome of what a turian _shouldn't_ be. He was cold and calculated, with dislike of humans bordering on hatred and had a complete and total absence of care for collateral damage.

As he thought about collateral damage, Garrus felt a shiver running down his spine and his father's scolding face appeared before his eyes briefly. He shook his head and focused back on the case. Contemplating Saren's obvious failure as a turian wouldn't help him.

In the mess of contradicting reports that he was able to access one name stood out: Teresa Shepard. Her file was significantly less classified. A rising star among the Alliance military's ranks, Shepard was promoted to Commander after distinguishing herself in the battle of Elysium. According to the report, she single-handedly held the defense of the colony. Garrus studied her picture intently for several moments. Her eyes were also blue, but unlike Saren's there was warmth and life in them, along with determination. She would make a fine human Spectre, if only the Council would see reason and pick her.

And that brought him to the point that bothered him about this case all the time: the Spectre candidacy for humans. The last time they attempted to get someone on board, Saren was also involved. The mission went horribly wrong, with lots of civilian casualties. All blame was placed on David Anderson, the human candidate. And Anderson was the captain of the ship used in the Eden Prime mission. Was it really a surprise that this mission ended horribly wrong, too?

No, it wasn't, Garrus decided. The coincidences were too great. Saren was responsible for Anderson not becoming a Spectre, and he was trying to ruin Shepard's chance, too. That had to be it.

Still, his trusty gut feeling wasn't satisfied with this. It kept telling him there was more to this case. A lot more. The reports of geth following Saren and squid-shaped dreadnoughts emitting untraceable signals, while sounding like fabrications, struck an unpleasant chord within his mind. He had learned to rely his own gut feeling by now, and it was telling him not to dismiss this.

Garrus sighed and stroked the plates on his neck again. This case was a lost cause. In less than an hour he was supposed to present his findings to the Council, and all he had was his gut feeling. It didn't matter that Saren's guilt was as obvious as if it was written on a wall. Pallin and the Council were going to ignore it, demanding hard evidence. Saren was going to get away.

Garrus felt anger rising within him at the thought. He was in the mood for smashing through walls.

Standing up from his desk, Garrus gathered what little evidence he could. It was time to move. Suddenly, his omni-tool beeped. It was Dr. Michel, one of his contacts. By pure stroke of luck, a quarian on her pilgrimage arrived in her clinic, holding evidence about geth and their possible link to Saren.

Garrus let out a stream of turian obscenities. His mother would cringe if she could hear him, not to mention berate him. Why couldn't this quarian get shot several hours earlier? He had to leave and meet Pallin. Maybe he could convince him to let him pursue this lead. Garrus chuckled to himself. As if that would actually happen.

As he reached the doorway, the feeling of sinking to the bottom of the water tank returned. He paused and looked back. The office was cramped, holding almost nothing of personal significance. Still, he was going to miss it. It was certainly better than his father's scolding face that appeared before his eyes again.

As the skycar took him to the council building, Garrus composed his resignation in his mind. If he would need one. More likely, Pallin was going to kick his ass down the fabled stairs of the Council Hall and that was going to be it. Garrus was also sure that Pallin wanted to do so for a long time.

The elevator to the Hall took forever to ascend. Garrus started to fidget. If this piece of junk was going to be the reason for him arriving late… Luckily, the elevator slowed down and pinged at that moment. Garrus looked at his hands, and forced them to become perfectly still. If this was going to be his fall, he was going down with dignity.

Pallin waited for him at the top of the first set of stairs. It was perfect for receiving that kick in the ass. His expression held contempt before Garrus even reached him.

Keeping rigidly still, Garrus handed his boss the datapad containing the results of the investigation. Pallin twitched his mandibles as he glanced over it.

"As expected, there is nothing that proves Arterius' guilt," Pallin smiled. He smiled.

Garrus had expected glass walls and red tape. He had expected this to be an excuse to get him kicked out of C-Sec. But he had expected his boss to at least pretend he wanted to catch Saren. He hadn't expected this farce.

"You mean, it's expected for Saren to show up and screw up a human Spectre candidate's chance." Garrus found himself speaking. "We all know what happened to Anderson."

"It's not Saren's fault." Pallin's voice was dangerously low. "Humans are incapable of doing a job right. That's what happened to Anderson. That's what happened to Shepard on Eden Prime."

"Don't you think it's an amazing coincidence, at least?" Garrus asked sweetly. "Humans get another chance at joining Spectres and Saren shows up uninvited. Surprisingly, the mission goes to hell."

Pallin's mandibles went stiff and his eyes glinted hard. "I'd be careful about accusing the best Spectre without proof. Even if it was true we need evidence, and your investigation turned up none."

"If you gave me more time—"

"Don't accuse me for your own incompetence, Vakarian!" Pallin downright growled.

"What was I supposed to do with all the red tape blocking me?" Garrus snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "Still, I got a good lead, just a moment before I got here!" With a corner of his eye he caught a group of humans exiting the elevator. Two were dark-haired, one was blonde. In the back of his mind something clicked, but he couldn't afford to turn his attention away from Pallin. "If you could stall them—"

"Stall them?" Pallin echoed. His subharmonics ringed with surprise, and it sounded genuine. So much about convincing. His boss wouldn't even consider it. "That's it, Vakarian. You're off the case. I'm going to get this to the Council."

Garrus opened his mouth to protest, but Pallin was already gone. He didn't get his ass kicked out of C-Sec… but this was somehow even worse. He was _really_ in the mood for smashing through walls.

He already knew what he was going to do. That resignation he had composed earlier would come in handy, after all.

Garrus turned towards the elevator and found himself face-to-face with the blonde-haired human he saw earlier. This time he recognized her, and realized what had him confused earlier. In the picture he saw in her dossier, her hair was much shorter. Now it was longer, but pulled away from her face and held by some sort of elastic band. Her head looked like it had a tail growing from the back. It looked funny, but he had given up a long time ago on understanding humans and their customs.

He should at least give her a heads-up of the disaster that awaited her.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian."

* * *

"I hate politicians." The newest addition to the _Normandy_ stated, rolling her eyes.

Teresa Shepard shook her head, feeling her ponytail waving behind her. Ashley Williams seemed to have a lot of hate pent up. From her personal experience, it meant she was actually angry about something else, something that was out of her control.

Like, for example, seeing a prosperous colony wrecked before her inexperienced, innocent eyes.

Shepard sighed and shook her head again. Not here, and not now. Not when she was supposed to have a clear head while presenting their case to the Council. Still, it was hard to keep the images from resurfacing when she saw another prosperous colony wrecked.

History repeated itself in cycles, it seemed.

The annoyingly slow elevator finally stopped and pinged. Shepard wondered if it was designed to frustrate the visitors to the Council to the point of boiling over, making it easier to blunder when they finally reached the seat of the galactic government. She certainly felt like that now.

The Council Hall was very different from the Presidium below. It had a quiet air about it, accented by the soft murmur of the waterfalls. The stairs were, Shepard suspected, here to put the visitors in their right place before they approached the thrones, or whatever the Councilors sat on. It was certainly designed to impress, even to slightly intimidate. Behind her, she heard a quickly suppressed gasp coming from Kaidan Alenko. At least he kept his smart-ass comments for himself this time. Not like she minded them much, usually, but she was just feeling too tense right now.

At least he had a nice looking ass.

Shepard blinked, surprised at her own thoughts. She was never interested much in fraternization, and this was neither the time nor the place to start. What was happening to her? Nerves, she decided.

At the top of the first set of stairs were two turians, and at least one of them was with C-Sec, judging by his blue armor. Shepard sighed inwardly as she noted their species. Turians were never her favorite, with those alien bodies and unreadable faces, even less when they were cops. Some of them just enjoyed harassing humans for minor offenses. Saren did nothing to improve her opinion, either. That bastard was responsible for sacking a human colony!

"—supposed to do with all the red tape blocking me?" The turian to the left asked. Despite being taller than the one to the right, he looked younger. His posture was certainly defensive. "Still, I got a good lead, just before I got here!"

Was that her imagination, or did his eyes flicker towards her?

"If you could stall them—"

"Stall them?" The older turian repeated, sounding surprised with just a hint of disappointment. "That's it, Vakarian. You're off the case. I'm going to get this," he waved a datapad in the air vigorously, "to the Council."

And with that, the younger turian's boss was gone, leaving him confused. He stood frozen for several moments and then turned suddenly, nearly bumping into her. She got a good look of his eyes. They were icy blue, but weren't cold at all. There was warmth and life in them. And surprise as well, when he took in her face.

It didn't fit at all with his rigid, expressionless face.

The turian recovered in the next moment. "Commander Shepard?" he asked. She nodded. "Garrus Vakarian," he continued with a slight incline of his head. "I am—was the investigator in charge of Saren's case. You just saw how successful it went."

"What was your boss' problem?" Shepard inquired, not bothering to ask how he knew her name. Ever since Elysium she got slowly used to being recognized everywhere. Besides, he was investigating the Eden Prime fiasco. Of course he'd know who she was. "If you have a good lead, he should let you pursue it."

"I don't know," Vakarian shrugged. "There was something wrong with this case from the start. Like someone didn't want it solved. I know Saren's guilty, but can't prove it."

He sounded sincere. He really sounded sincere.

"The Council wants to cover up for their pride and joy?" Shepard thought aloud. Vakarian's mandibles parted slightly at this. For some reason, she thought this was the turian equivalent of a smile. "Even humans know Saren is the most prominent Council agent."

"I thought the same," Vakarian replied smugly, "but Pallin, my boss, warned me not to go there without solid proof, and I had none. But something about Arterius just rubs me wrong!" He drew in a slow breath and his eyes turned in real ice for a moment. "I won't keep you anymore. You have a Council meeting to attend. Good luck, Shepard. Maybe you'll do a better job than I did."

He grinned again – at least she thought he did – and left towards the elevator. Shepard kept her gaze on him until he entered.

His ass was too skinny and not at all sexy like Kaidan's.

Shepard turned on her heels – a bit too quickly – and shook her head in disbelief. Her subconscious was trying to tell her to get laid and soon, if she started ogling turian asses, she decided. It had been too long since she had a boyfriend and she had never been the one for one night stands.

_Not the time, not the place,_ she chanted to herself again. The Council was waiting at the top of all those stairs. Her heart sank as she noticed Udina and Anderson waiting for her. The game of politics was about to begin, and she had always been far too honest for it.

The meeting proceeded exactly as the turian investigator predicted. She tried to keep quiet for the most of it, afraid of adding something that would hurt their cause. It looked like the Councilors had made their decisions a long time ago, anyways. For God's sake, Saren wasn't even here in person! Even through the holo image his person radiated calculated coldness.

At one time their gazes locked. Shepard wasn't a coward, but something about the expression in his eyes – or lack of it – caused an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Maybe it was just because of the holo, but they looked… inhuman? Inturian? What would be the right word?

Shepard didn't know, but Vakarian was certainly right. There was something _wrong_ about this turian.

"Do you have anything to add, Commander Shepard?" The asari councilor addressed her directly. It looked like she would have to play her part in this farce as much as she didn't like it.

"No," she replied curtly. "You made your decision already."

Both Udina and Anderson looked at her with a reprimanding expression. She couldn't care less about Udina, but Anderson… His disapproval stung, even after all these years.

It was Anderson who saw potential in the silent, hollow-eyed Mindoir orphan and persuaded her to enlist in the Alliance military. He was the sole reason she could look in the mirror again and feel pride. He was the closest thing she had to a father ever since her parents died.

But he should also know she wasn't meant to be a politician and play their games.

The Councilors exchanged glances. "Our decision is unanimous." The asari councilor spoke in the name of the others. "Saren Arterius is cleared of all charges. However, we will reopen the case if new evidence is found. This meeting of the Council is adjourned."

Saren's holo dissipated, and the Councilors left their pedestals. They weren't thrones, but her guess wasn't _that_ far off.

The small group of humans was left alone in the middle of the Council Hall. They exchanged glances, clearly asking _what now_?

"It was a mistake bringing you here." Udina glared at Anderson angrily. "Your past with Saren affected the Council."

Anderson opened his mouth, and then closed it again. "We must focus on bringing in Saren," he said finally. "We must find new, convincing evidence."

Captain Anderson dodging an answer, and about Saren? That was a new one. Shepard made a mental note to address this issue later. Right now she was going to focus on the matter at hand and contribute something useful.

"I have an idea," she spoke. Everyone looked at her. "Five minutes before the meeting I bumped into Garrus Vakarian, the C-Sec investigator in charge of this case. His boss pulled him off it, but he had a good lead. Something tells me he was going to pursue it on his own. If we could find him…"

"Good idea," Udina nodded approvingly. That was a new one, too. "I've also heard about Barla Von, an information broker who could tell us more about Saren. His office is on the Presidium."

Well. Both leads were equally slim. Neither offered much hope. Still, she was looking forward to seeing that turian investigator again. There was something… likable about him. Even if his ass was alien and not sexy.

"You got your work cut out before you," Udina remarked and Shepard nodded.

Then she frowned. It meant riding that slow elevator from hell again.


	2. A Dream Come True

_Chapter 2: A Dream Come True_

"Hey! Watch it!"

Garrus didn't stop to look at the asari yelling at him, let alone apologize. A stupid tourist who probably spent her day gawking at the _Destiny Ascension_ through the windows in the Wards wasn't worthy of his attention. Wasn't his C-Sec armor and the fact that he was running through a crowded hallway a clue to stay clear?

It felt good to run. He spent too much time stuck in his office, mired in the bureaucracy. For once, he didn't care about the consequences. He wanted to bring in Saren, and by the spirits, that's what he was going to do.

And to do that, he had to reach Dr. Michel's clinic before something happened to the good doctor or the quarian in her care. He doubted that he was the only one interested in the info that the quarian was holding. He didn't want to give them a chance to get there first.

Panting, Garrus reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of the small clinic. There was no one around. Garrus checked on the pistol attached to his hip, more out of habit than the real need. There won't be any shooting involved. All he had to do was to find the quarian, talk to her, get the info, make Shepard a Spectre.

It would be good to have a grateful Spectre on his friends list. Especially with the prospect of having both his angry father _and_ boss breathing down his cowl in the immediate future.

There was an opportunity right there. He would be a fool to miss it.

Garrus put his hand on the gun, ready to unclip it. Better to be safe than sorry. He pressed the button that opened the door. It took forever to open, or at least it seemed that way to him.

Nothing happened. The one-room clinic was completely empty except for the doctor. He let go of the gun before he fully entered. Better not to alarm her.

He walked past her without stopping, going around the screen wall. He had to check the area with medical beds with his own eyes.

There was no one there.

"Where's the quarian?"

It was curt, it was blunt, but he had no time for pleasantries.

Surprisingly, the doctor's face brightened at the sight of him. Her smile grew even larger when she heard his voice.

"Oh, Officer Vakarian!" It took her several moments to continue. Garrus started tapping his foot. He wasn't sure if she took his hint or not, but she mercifully continued. "She went—"

The door hissed open, and several people poured in. Before he had time to do anything, they had their guns trained both on the doctor and him.

_Shit._

This wasn't how he planned this. He wanted to kick himself for turning his back on the door, but he really wanted to talk to that quarian. Maybe his father was right, and his decisions were too rash.

"Don't move, C-Sec!" the guy with the gun pointed at him yelled. "We just wanna ask the doc a couple of questions. She answers, we leave, no one gets hurt."

"Tell us about the quarian. Where did she get that information?" their leader asked. Of course, it had to be _that_ question. At least it was a confirmation he was on the right track.

"I'm not tell—ah!" The bastard hit her. Dr. Michel covered her face in pain and fear. Garrus felt like growling. He didn't care about collateral damage that much, but this was different. It was happening right before his eyes, and he was partly responsible.

"Be reasonable, Doc. Tell us what we wanna know, and we'll leave you alone."

Garrus doubted that. These weren't ordinary street thugs. They looked like they were hired by someone big enough to afford real professionals. Someone like Saren. It was unlikely he would leave any loose ends behind him. He hated himself for dragging the doctor into this.

The door hissed open again. And to Garrus' great surprise, the blonde-haired Spectre candidate he saw earlier entered.

Shepard.

The leader grabbed the doctor and pointed the gun straight at her temple. Other thugs turned to look at the newcomer.

"We've got a hostage! Stay put, whoever you are!"

Garrus didn't think any further. The thugs forgot about him momentarily; it was enough. His hand moved on its own, and unclipped the gun. He aimed and pulled the trigger and saw the leader fall.

The rest of the thugs were finished off by Shepard and her squad. Just like that. Several biotic flashes, tech blasts and a little gunfire was all it took. They didn't need his help at all.

He was in awe. Now he wanted to earn her trust more than anything.

She looked directly at him for the first time since she entered, and his heart sank. Even though she was a human, her expression reminded him of his father. It was the _Garrus, you screwed up big time_ look in her eyes that irked him the most.

"What were you thinking?!" Now she sounded like his father, too. "You could've hit the hostage!"

Garrus fought the urge to fidget under her glare.

"I wasn't thinking… I just reacted!"

He stopped. The excuses sounded hollow even to his own ears. Shepard was certainly right. C-Sec pistols weren't known for their great accuracy. If his aim was just a little off…

Overwhelmed by sudden worry, he ran over to the red-haired doctor, who stood frozen still, trying hard not to look at the corpse at her feet.

"Dr. Michel! Are you hurt?" According to his visor, her vitals looked alright, except for the elevated heartbeat rate. Still, he had to ask.

"N-no… Just… just need a moment…" she replied struggling for breaths.

"We need to know about the quarian." Garrus tried to sound as reassuring as possible. "Your message said she knew something about the geth. Can she prove they're working for Saren?"

"I don't know about that," the doctor shrugged. "She had some sensitive information on her and wanted protection. It got her shot already, so I thought it's best if I put her into contact with Shadow Broker. Fist, the owner of a bar on this level, is one of his agents. I told her to go see him."

"Fist?" The little patches of hair above Shepard's eyes arched. Eyebrows, were they called? The meaning of the gesture was lost on Garrus, but her voice sounded surprised. "But… Barla Von told us that Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker and is now working directly for Saren."

"Fuck…" Garrus muttered under his breath. Did everything about this case have to be so complicated?

"My God!" Dr. Michel gasped at the same time. "I sent that poor girl straight into the lion's den."

"Chora's Den, you mean?" Garrus was surprised when everyone chuckled. "What's a lion, anyway?"

"It's a human idiom; don't worry about it." The doc recovered enough to smile. "But yes, that's the name of his establishment."

"Then that's where we need to be," Shepard said.

"You want that information to bring Saren in?" Garrus turned to her. She nodded. "Let me come with you. I worked on that case and I want to see it through."

"You really don't like Saren, do you?" she grinned. "I'm not sure if we can use a cop. I expect heavy action. Fist won't go down easily."

Garrus felt slightly offended, and then realized that she probably didn't know what all turians go through when they turn fifteen. He said, "I served three years in the turian military. I had extensive sniper training. Not anyone gets that; you have to be really good. I can also handle an assault rifle and overcharge an Overload to fry any shield in one go."

It sounded like boasting—no, it _was_ boasting, but he couldn't help himself. He was damn proud of his service record before his father pushed him into C-Sec.

Her grin deepened. "I can fry several shields in one go. But I guess you'll do. Welcome aboard, Garrus." She extended her hand, and he took it. Her grip was firm.

He felt welcomed. Her words weren't just spoken out of courtesy.

The female human in Shepard's company frowned, but the male nodded in approval. "Commander? If we're expecting heavy action, we could use a krogan, couldn't we?" he asked.

"The bounty hunter Von mentioned?" Shepard mused. "I guess we could. The more, the merrier; isn't it what they say?"

It was another human idiom, but he got the gist of it.

The other human's frown deepened, but she kept her comments for herself. It wasn't a big surprise if she disliked aliens. Humans didn't start off their galactic journey well, and screw-ups like Saren did nothing to help the relations.

"To C-Sec, then!" Shepard declared and motioned for her group to follow.

"C-Sec! Great!" he chuckled. "I can get my stuff before I get fired! No need to go later!"

That earned him a smile from the entire group. Even the grumpy woman parted her lips slightly.

Garrus fell in behind Shepard, and couldn't suppress a grin. The day looked much better than it did couple of hours ago. He got to join the first human Spectre. He already liked her charm, sense of humor and deadliness in combat. It didn't matter that she was a bit stuck-up when it came to regulations. She was still serving the Alliance, and from what he knew they were a lot like the Council. He expected her to loosen up once she gets her own command.

Compared to another day with Pallin, serving under Shepard looked like a dream come true.

* * *

It was too easy.

Their fight against Fist went so smooth, it was almost frightening. Ashley and Urdnot Wrex on point, Kaidan and her providing support, with Garrus watching their back; it was over before they had time to realize it. As she mulled it her head over and over again on the way to the Alliance docks, Shepard was more and more certain she did the right thing.

She invited everyone to join her on the _Normandy_: the quarian girl, the krogan bounty hunter, and the turian ex-cop. Now that she was a full-fledged Spectre, everyone would have to follow her rules for a change, and she had decided to give unity among the races a chance.

She was once a frightened girl, lost on her journey of life. Her anger at the batarians matched the battle rage of the old krogan she fought with today. And, heaven knew it, she was frustrated with the damn bureaucratic arrogance that seemed to hamper the Citadel on every step. These people were like her. They _were_ her before she was given a chance by Anderson.

She could at least try and do the same for them.

The elevator finally arrived, and Shepard could see the long form of the _Normandy_ glistening under the artificial light of the Citadel. It was a beautiful ship, and now it belonged to her.

Wasn't that her dream ever since she was a little girl on Mindoir, gazing at the sky every night? To soar among the stars, free like the wind?

She spotted Anderson and Udina near the entrance to the ship and her poetic mood dropped to the ground like a rock. Spaceflight wasn't poetic or romantic. It was just one of the many means of transportation in the modern galaxy.

She was far from being free. She still answered to the Council and to the Alliance, no matter how fancy her new title might sound. Plus, they asked her to catch a megalomaniac with an army of synthetics under his rule and a powerful asari leader named Benezia at his side.

Was she up to the task?

"Shepard!" Anderson called when she got close. "We've just got confirmation from the Alliance. The _Normandy_ is officially yours. She's a fine ship; take good care of her."

"Thank you, s-sir…" She couldn't hold in a small stutter. The realization hit her suddenly. Anderson was stepping down to give her this chance. He did it for her again. "You should keep the _Normandy_. It's not fair."

"It's my decision," he assured. "No one is forcing me to do anything. You deserve it. Both being a Spectre and taking command of the _Normandy_."

"And," Udina added with his annoying accent, "that way the captain stays away from the spotlight. We don't have to worry about his past interfering with your task."

Shepard swallowed hard. Now was her chance. Anderson's past with Saren bugged her ever since the first Council meeting.

"Captain," she began, "what is it with you and Saren? I understand if it's difficult for you to talk about it, but I'd like to know what exactly I'm getting myself into."

"It's true," Anderson began, "I don't li—"

"I-is this the right dock? The _Normandy_, right?" Another accented voice with rolled R's, although much more pleasant than Udina's, interrupted them. Shepard turned to see the slender masked form of the quarian girl approaching. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya was her name or something like that. Quarians sure liked complicated names.

"Sure it is, Tali," Shepard smiled. "Go on in."

The masked figure nodded, and scampered into the ship. Shepard could swear Tali was blushing, even though her face was covered.

"What is this, Shepard?" Udina blushed too, but from anger. "You invited a quarian on the most advanced human ship?"

_Just wait a little,_ she grinned from ear to ear, _you're really going to like the rest of the newcomers._

"We can't stay isolated from the galactic society forever just because we started off on the on the wrong foot," she said out loud, feeling her brow crease. "The ship is already a joint human-turian effort. I intend to show the other races we can play along."

Udina promptly shut up, and Shepard felt triumph… that is, until she saw the disapproval on Anderson's face again. Her mirth deflated immediately. Was she out of line… again?

In the silence that followed, Shepard turned to Anderson. "I believe you wanted to tell me about your experience with Saren, sir."

"I was a Spectre candidate once. Long story short, Saren and I were sent on a mission together, just like you and Nihlus. It went terribly wrong, with lots of civilian casualties. It was Saren's fault. He has no regard for collateral damage."

"In his report, however," Udina added, "all blame was put on the captain, and the Council promptly believed it. No matter what Ambassador Goyle did, they revoked his candidacy and—What the hell is this?!"

The bulky form of Urdnot Wrex popped out of the elevator and proceeded into the _Normandy _without a question asked. It was a bit rude in her opinion, but it made Udina fluster even more, so she couldn't bring herself to mind it at all.

"Another crewmember," she replied with an innocent smile on her face. "Please continue."

Udina took a deep breath. "Captain Anderson's candidacy was revoked and we weren't given another chance until… well, until you came along. So it's important that you don't screw this up."

"What's important is that we don't lose another colony to that turian megalomaniac!" Anger suddenly rose within her. There were colonies dying out there, just like Mindoir, and this slime of a politician thought only about their good image in the eyes of the Council!

Another disapproving look from Anderson, this time mixed with a hint of worry.

"That's correct, Commander." His deep, soothing voice put out her anger immediately, but also left her feeling guilty. She couldn't help losing her tempers with politicians, especially when there were colonies involved. "That's why we want you to begin investigating several leads at once."

"The details will be transferred to the _Normandy_'s mission computer," Udina added. "Also, we've got intel that Dr. Liara T'Soni, the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, went missing while investigating a Prothean ruin."

"Her doctorate was based on Prothean history," Anderson explained. "In fact, she's the galaxy's best expert when it comes to them. It might be a good idea to get her on board, and find out if she knows anything about the beacon."

The beacon. Shepard shuddered at the word. Before her eyes flashed images of humanoid shapes cut down by… something big in the sky… and there were corpses on the ground… and the screams… and…

"Garrus Vakarian, reporting for duty." The pleasant voice of the cop she had met today snapped her out of her flashback. She didn't know how it happened, but a lot of her anxiety was almost gone. It had to be that _other_ voice that all turians had. Rumor had it that it could do… interesting things to a human mind.

She took a deep breath and turned around to see him standing at attention, saluting her as she watched. His military training certainly showed through.

For someone so frustrated by restrictions and red tape, she thought suddenly, Garrus Vakarian certainly had a stick up his ass sometimes.

"Relax," she smiled at him. "This isn't turian military." She heard a lot of things about their harsh discipline. "Go inside and settle in."

Vakarian perked up his mandibles in the way she was now certain it was a smile or a grin and disappeared inside the ship.

"Have you invited an elcor or a hanar on the ship, Commander?" Udina asked through gritted teeth. He looked like he was about to get a stroke any moment. "Or is that it?"

"That's the last of them." The innocent smile was on her face again. "Everyone else is on board. We're ready to go."

"One moment, Teresa." Anderson took her under his arm, and led her towards the end of the platform. There was no one here except a keeper busy with a console.

"Teresa…" He paused, obviously looking for the right words. Shepard felt anxiety again. Anderson was the only person alive who still called her by her given name. It didn't feel like her. Teresa was sixteen, cowering under a large tree and crying, not daring to look back at the burning farm. Shepard was the hero of Elysium, with the Star of Terra proudly shining in her display case. She didn't like being Teresa.

"I know you hate politics," he said at last. "You and me both. But being a Spectre isn't just about shooting stuff. You represent humanity. You're another ambassador, in fact. You have to play the game. You can't go about telling them truth in their faces, no matter how much they deserve it."

She hung her head low and nodded. "I'll try my best, sir."

Military protocol was safe. If they started using names, she could become that girl crying under a tree again.

"I fully approve your multi-species crew, though," he added, a smile appearing on his face. "It's time we show the galactic society that we can play along, indeed. Just… don't be so blunt about it."

Shepard nodded again, feeling the weight of her duty on her shoulders. The task before her was tremendous, but if Anderson believed in her… maybe she could actually pull it off.

She walked into the ship, not turning back.

Once she was inside, she looked around as if she was seeing it for the first time. It was very different when the ship was _hers_.

"Hey, Commander?" Joker, the pilot and the resident endless supply of snarky remarks brought her to reality. "We're ready to go. Just punch up the destination on the galaxy map. Or maybe you'd like to give a speech first? You know, to bring the morale up."

"Open the channel across the ship," she commanded and approached the cockpit.

The deadly game they were entering began with a show of words.


	3. Shattered Walls

_Chapter 3: Shattered Walls_

Shepard sighed and flung the datapad displaying the biography of Dr. Liara T'Soni across the room. Anderson's room. Her room. The commanding officer's room.

Even after several days passed since the _Normandy_ had left the Citadel, it still didn't sound right. This was her room only by name. Shepard woke up every night, swimming in her own sweat from nightmares, expecting Anderson to kick her out.

Echoes of the Protheans dying to the giant, ominous shapes in the sky – Reapers, she presumed – stood with her long after she woke up. The rest of the images in her head were too blurry, too chaotic to even make a guess about what they meant. They gave her headache just by thinking about them.

Like now, for example.

Shepard rubbed her temples and stood up, picking up the datapad. It was unharmed. According to it, Dr. T'Soni knew more about the Protheans than anyone else alive. She stared at the doctor's picture for a while. Her knowledge on the asari life span was sketchy at best, but the woman certainly appeared young. There was something about her eyes, though. They were much older than the rest of her face, radiating calm and intelligence.

Maybe Dr. T'Soni actually knew what the Reapers were and how they wiped out the Protheans. Maybe she knew where to find the Conduit and why Saren wanted it. Maybe she was innocent, and her disappearance meant that she was in danger.

Or maybe she worked with her mother and Saren, and they were all heading into a giant trap.

For a moment Shepard struggled with the urge to throw the datapad away again. Instead, she set it on the desk and exited her cabin. Her crew needed to see her, needed to know she was here for them. She couldn't allow walls to form between them.

Every leader had to make decisions and ultimately suffer the consequences for them. This mission would be no different. Her crew needed to know she would make the right ones.

They needed to trust her, and she needed to trust them.

Anderson had always made rounds on the ship, making the crew know he cared. Always. If she had any hopes of fulfilling his shoes, she ought to start doing the same.

It was another game of words she needed to learn.

The crew members in the mess hall took stopped eating for a moment when she showed up. Shepard made sure that she had a smile plastered on her face as she made her way to the elevator. If anything, they wanted to show proper respect.

_You're the finest that humanity has to offer. Make me proud. _The words of her father figure chanted in her head like a prayer as the slowest elevator in the galaxy took her to the vehicle bay. He told her this on the day she made N7, when neither of them had a clue she would become a Spectre one day.

_I will, sir,_ she mouthed when the door finally opened.

Urdnot Wrex wasn't in his usual dark corner next to the elevator. He stood next to Ashley Williams, hunched over the bench where she usually performed weapon inspection. She held a sleek, long-barreled weapon in the air, showing it to Wrex, occasionally glancing behind her at the Mako.

Garrus wasn't at his usual console, either. Shepard spotted a pair of turian boots protruding from under the Mako, and several tools obviously not designed to fit into a human hand strewn about. She grinned. The poor turian had no idea what he got himself into when he agreed to take charge of the Mako's maintenance.

Realizing that fixing the damage she had done to the Mako would probably take some time, she approached Ashley and Wrex. When she got near, Ashley glanced back and flinched. Dropping the rifle on the table, she stood at attention and saluted.

"Relax, Williams, this isn't an inspection," Shepard said calmly. "I want to know my crew."

"Yeah." The krogan battlemaster rumbled in baritone. "Vakarian wouldn't appreciate you handling his rifle like that."

Williams took a deep breath. "Y-yeah. I finally got him to let me take a look at it. Don't want to have him covering my ass without a properly maintained weapon."

Shepard looked at the rifle. It was a decent model from a major turian manufacturer, showing absolutely no sign of any wear and tear. Vakarian certainly knew how to maintain his weapon without any assistance. It was also heavily mo—

"Are… are those Armax Arsenal mods?" Shepard gasped. "Wow! You don't see those every day."

Those mods were issued only to the most capable turians. Even Shepard, who knew very little about the Hierarchy, was aware of that. She found herself turning around and looking at the pair of boots squirming under the Mako, too.

They only did one mission together and she already knew he didn't lie about his extensive sniper training. The pirates hidden on an uninhabited planet didn't know what happened to them. He could hit a goddamn fly between the eyes from the extreme range, let alone a merc scout.

Why was such a competent turian stuck in C-Sec, doing what was basically a desk job?

"Yeah, they're amazing," Ashley replied. "They even _look_ amazing." Shepard realized that she still stared at Vakarian's feet and quickly turned. She felt like she got caught in something.

Wrex chuckled. "Look amazing? What does it matter how a weapon looks like? I'm outta here before this turns into a girly talk about shoes. Shepard." He nodded at the commander.

"Wrex," she replied, but the krogan left before she could say anything else. It happened every time she tried talking to him.

"Who called him, anyway?" Ashley muttered to herself. "I was just here minding own business and checking on guns when he strides over and wants to take a look at Vakarian's rifle. Probably wanted to see our arsenal, so he can steal it or something. "She pressed her mouth in a tight line for a moment."Speaking of which, is Vakarian a spy? Wants to see if we're treating their baby well? You _don't_ give mods like that to a cop—"

Shepard held up her hand. "Chief!" was all she said, her voice stern. She had an open ear for her crew, and made it known to everyone from the start, but she wouldn't tolerate this kind of trash talk.

Humans could and would play nice. At least when they were under her command.

Ashley flinched, nearly dropping the rifle again. She set it gently on the table and looked Shepard in the eye.

"Was… Was I out of line?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. Williams just called one crewmember a thief and another a spy, and wanted to know if she was out of line? It spoke volumes about her commanding ability if her subordinate dared to talk like that in her presence.

"This ship is a joint human-turian project," Shepard said, working hard against a nasty feeling bubbling in her chest. "Krogans are known for their love of weapons. We have to move on from the old grudges or we'll never…"

Shepard sighed in mid-sentence. The bubbly feeling in her chest cut her off, growing into something close to guilt.

Sometimes she forgot there was a lot of batarian blood on that shiny Star of Terra in her display case.

Ashley looked down, waiting for the commander to finish. Shepard couldn't tell if it was feigned respect or not.

"We'll never take the place we deserve in the galactic society," she finally finished. "On this ship we play nice to each other. No insinuations. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again." Ashley dared to look at her again. "Ask me to kiss a turian, and I'll ask which cheek."

There was a loud clatter behind them. Vakarian probably dropped a tool. Could… could he hear them, even though he was under the Mako?

This was getting worse by the minute.

"I don't think kissing turians will be necessary," Shepard replied, raising her voice a little. "At least not without their consent."

The noise from the Mako increased. It sounded like Vakarian was dragging himself from under the vehicle. With a corner of her eye, Shepard spotted a spiky shape rushing towards the elevator.

From her experience, humor usually defused situation. Was it different with turians? She exchanged glances with Ashley.

A moment of unpleasant silence passed. Finally, Ashley cleared her throat. "So, you're into weapon mods, ma'am? I thought you preferred tech attacks and biotics in battle."

"I do, but I've always had a knack for mechanics and technology," Shepard replied, her face lighting up. This was her favorite topic. "There wasn't much advanced tech on Mindoir. Only one electronic shop, carrying crappy Bluewire omni-tools. Still," she smiled, "I pulled apart any device I could get my hands on. Mostly it involved snatching weapon mods from the local militia. Ever since I can't resist them."

"Did you put them back together?" Ashley was now smiling, too.

"After a lot of tries, yes." Both women chuckled. Shepard tried to ignore something hard that lodged in her throat with the chuckle. She could talk about Mindoir without breaking down.

"What about biotics? Was it hard to get training on such a small colony?"

"I didn't even know I had the ability until… until…"

_... until I saw my hands glowing while hugging that tree._

So much about not breaking down. Shepard froze still, trying hard to hold in a shiver.

Ashley gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "I'm… I'm sorry ma'am! I forgot… about what happened on Mindoir!"

After taking several deep breaths, Shepard recovered enough to speak. "It's alright, Williams. You couldn't have known it would trigger a memory."

There was another moment of cold silence. Ashley busied herself with another weapon on the table in front of her.

"I'll better go check on Vakarian," Shepard spoke at last. "He was in a hurry to get out of here." Ashley stopped working on the weapon for a split second, and then resumed her work, nodding. "Carry on, Chief."

With that, she turned and left for the elevator. Once she found herself safely within its confines, Shepard slumped against the wall, covering her face with both hands.

So much about making Anderson proud. He would handle this with much more grace. Still, he believed in her. He believed in her. She straightened and squared her shoulders. If the visions from the beacons were true, the fate of the galaxy depended on their mission. She was going to make this crew work. No matter what it took.

* * *

Garrus worked on a stubborn screw under the Mako. No matter how many screwdrivers he changed and how many different angles he tried, it remained stuck.

It didn't help that this morning's breakfast rebelled against his stomach. The food on the _Normandy_ was shit ever since the day he boarded, but he never had a reaction like this before. It never interfered with his duties aboard the ship.

_"… Armax Arsenal mods? Wow! You don't see those every day!"_

He was glad that the commander took time to check on the crewmembers in the less presentable parts of the ship. All good ones did that. He was also glad that he worked with a human who could appreciate turian workmanship. Most humans he worked with in C-Sec couldn't tell the difference between an Armax and a Haliat mod.

The screw moved a little. Garrus stopped himself from yelping in happiness in the last moment. He wasn't sure if humans could hear him from across the hangar, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself with such a trivial thing.

_"… is Vakarian a spy?"_

He chuckled and groaned at the same time, because his stomach churned again. Ashley Williams certainly didn't appreciate a turian being on board. He caught a hard glare directed at his console more than once. Not to mention her nagging about his weapon. Had she no clue about turian military discipline, which included gun safety and maintenance?

The screw was finally out, and Garrus pulled on the panel keeping him away from the part that Shepard busted with her _driving_. Then he shuddered. He really didn't want to be reminded of that when he felt sick like this.

_"Ask me to kiss a turian, and I'll ask which cheek."_

Garrus dropped the panel while it was still above him, and it hit him on the forehead. Then it bounced off to the floor, creating a lot of noise. He carefully touched the sore spot, groaning softly.

So much about not drawing attention. Still, Williams talking about kissing turians? It was good that he didn't laugh out loud.

He didn't get to think anything else because his stomach suddenly rose to his throat. He could already taste vomit.

Garrus clenched his jaw tight and dragged himself out from under the Mako. He clambered to his feet as fast as he could and rushed for the elevator, not paying attention to the humans anymore. Covering his mouth with both hands, he prayed to the spirits-of-not-puking to save him from public humiliation this slow moving piece of shit was trying to induce on him.

Finally reaching the men's room door, Garrus pressed the button with his shoulder and rushed inside. He knelt before the toilet and let loose. The half-digested remains of the ration bar he ate this morning tasted even worse on the way out.

They also weren't a great sight to behold. Garrus slammed on the button to flush the toilet, but it didn't help. Another wave of nausea hit him.

It kept going for several waves, until he lost all food he ate since yesterday. When it was finally over, it left him feeling tired, his chest heaving.

Someone knocked on the door. "Uh, Garrus?" Shepard's voice was muffled, but he could pick up she felt uneasy. "The VI said you were in here… 'regurgitating your nutritional input'. Are you okay?"

"You can come in, commander," he said, trying not to sound out of breath too much. "I think it's over."

Shepard entered immediately. There was genuine worry in her expression when her gaze fell on him. "You don't look so good. Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." He slowly stood up, struggling with the temptation to salute her. No matter how many times she told him he didn't need to be so formal, he had to fight his instinct and sense of place he brought from the turian military. "I believe I grabbed the wrong ration bar this morning." He straightened. "Never served on a mixed chirality ship before. Won't happen again."

Now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall _what _the wrapper said before he ripped it off and dug into the bar. He made a mental note to double-check from now on. Always.

"You should check with Dr. Chakwas."

"No need." He shook his head vigorously. "I got it out of my system before it had a chance to do any damage. I'll be fine, really. I just need a bottle of water and another ration bar. Preferably dextro-based." He managed a weak laugh. The thought of visiting the ship's doctor made his stomach turn again. He had only one encounter with her so far, and was already convinced she kept small animals to torture at will in the room in the back of the medbay.

Shepard grinned. "She is scary sometimes, isn't she?"

"Sometimes?"

"Alright, most of the time."

They both ended up laughing. The wall of formality cracked.

He felt much better already. It was amazing what a little bit of laughing could do to him.

Shepard wasn't just one of the deadliest people in combat he had ever seen; she was a true leader, inspiring and encouraging her troops when they felt weak. He was in awe again.

"Still, you should stop by at her office," Shepard added. "We'll arrive to the Artemis Tau cluster in about four hours. I want you and Williams on the search-and-hopefully-not-rescue team. You need to be at full capacity."

Good. As much as he liked tinkering with the Mako, he preferred real action. He could actually do something, not spend the entire day sitting in his office and dancing to Pallin's tune.

"Understood, Commander. As long as there won't be any kissing involved, I'm glad to help in any way I can," he joked. They ended up laughing again.

Shepard stepped out of the men's room, still grinning. "Let's get you that bar and a bottle of water." She motioned with her hand, inviting him to follow her. "I feel like I could get something to eat, too."

Garrus obliged, shocked. This would never happen on a turian ship. He'd probably get reprimanded for being so careless, not invited to share a meal with the CO.

"Thank you, Shepard."

The wall of formality shattered.


	4. Through Lava and Fumes

_Chapter 4: Through Lava and Fumes_

Mako's thrusters whined as the rover descended towards the surface of Therum. Holding his breath, Garrus folded both arms over his stomach, already regretting his decision to persuade Dr. Chakwas to clear him for this mission. As the vehicle hit the ground with a thud, Garrus lurched forward with a grunt. Too slow to grab hold of something with his hands clasped over his stomach, he already saw himself on the floor, and then a strong arm suspended his fall.

"You alright?" Ashley Williams asked. "Your plates… look duller than usual."

"Just…" He had to gasp for breath. "Just a little trouble with my stomach, that's all. Nothing to worry about."

One of Ashley's eyebrows curved. "And you agreed to come on a mission that includes riding in the Mako? Is Commander Shepard trying to kill you?"

He chuckled. "No, I—I insisted to come along. I'm not a quarian to let a little tummy-ache stop me."

He looked around in panic for a moment, forgetting that Tali was still on the _Normandy, _safely out of earshot. Jokes from the turian military didn't work on this ship. He ought to watch his mouth more.

"Men." Ashley scoffed, shrugged and rolled her eyes, all at the same time. Human vocal capabilities and body language would never cease to confuse him. She offered no further elaboration of her remark, though, and the conversation died on the spot.

Still, it was an improvement over the cold and hard glares they usually traded across the hangar. This mission was so much different from what he expected, or anything he had been through in both C-Sec and turian military. If it wasn't for the commander and her subtle, unobtrusive guidance he would have been truly lost. Somehow, she had managed to make this ragtag group to work so far.

_"I'm getting some strange readings." _ The pilot's voice echoing through the comm almost made him jump. _"Like, really strange. Off the damn charts."_

"Know where they're coming from?" Shepard asked, and in a strange way Garrus was glad to hear a trace of irritation in her voice. Spirits knew Joker's attitude and, well, _jokes_ grated on his nerves more than once. It was reassuring to know that Shepard had a similar opinion.

_"From an underground complex about two clicks from your position. I think it's a Prothean ruin."_ This time, the Flight Lieutenant's reply lacked any of the usual snark. Garrus quietly applauded Shepard's ability to bring out the best in people in the subtlest way possible. _"Just follow the river of lava you see on your left and you'll find it."_

"Garrus, bring up the map," the commander said.

He did so and plotted the course to the location Joker marked, taking great care to set the waypoints as far away as he could from the molten rock.

"Two clicks…" he muttered to himself. "Did we have to drop in so far from our target? Does she have any idea how far two click—Ow!"

Shepard put the engine into ignition and charged forward, making him bang his head. Running his head over the spikes of his fringe, he couldn't hold in a groan. Great. His forehead still throbbed with pain from the encounter with the Mako's panel, and now his fringe got the same treatment. This death machine would be his end one of these days.

Ashley watched him with a smug smile on her face. "Tummy-ache again, Mr. Tough Turian?"

"Fringe tips," he explained. "Weak spot. Not as bad as groin on human men," he clicked his mandibles, "but painful enough."

"I know," she scoffed again. "I'm a hand-to-hand expert and, believe it or not, humans are trained on how to take down a turian. It was just funny to see your indomitable mask slipping. Tell me, is that a turian thing or a Garrus Vakarian thing?"

Garrus opened his mouth and then closed it again, his mandibles clicking involuntarily this time. It was true, he had tried everything to present himself to Shepard in his best light from the time he boarded. He had never tried it with any of his previous commanders. What was different about her?

Shaking his head slightly, he mumbled, "Both." Something unpleasant snaked around in his mind, not letting him take a look and tell what it is.

Ashley's entire face lit up, basking in triumph. "Knew it!"

The flash of anger he felt drove the unpleasant thing away. "Care to show that training of yours?" he asked with some of the anger bleeding through the subharmonics. He doubted any human could pick it up, though. "I'm up for friendly sparring anytime."

Ashley blinked and cocked her head to one side. Her lower lip shook for a moment.

"If you're done flirting, maybe you'd like to know I just spotted a geth dropship ahead." Shepard's voice made them both flinch. "Ashley, you're on turret. Garrus, you handle the electronics."

Ashley's climbed into the turret without a word, leaving heavy air floating between her and Garrus. Her reply remained a mystery.

Bringing up the screen again, Garrus tried to focus on the icons and gauges and keep the turret from overheating and shields from failing. Losing himself in complex algorithms was one of his favorite ways to escape difficult questions.

This time, he wasn't quite sure _what_ he was running away from. In that moment, Shepard's voice echoed the word _flirting_ in his head.

Would he flirt with Ashley, a human? No, not with Ashley. But another human? Would he?

He wouldn't. Turian females suited him just fine. Human hair was messy and their curves did nothing for him. He liked sharp fringes, silver plates and supportive wais—

Shepard made a sharp turn, misaligning his target painting for Ashley. Garrus heard her swear up in the turret. "Not my fault," he muttered with indignation.

"Doubting my driving abilities, Vakarian?" Shepard asked through what sounded like a suppressed laugh.

"I… uh, I… never…"

No. He couldn't say such a blatant lie.

"Aw, c'mon! I bet I could drive us to the ruin blindfolded!"

"No!" Garrus and Ashley shouted in unison.

Shepard laughed outright then. There was genuine, contagious mirth bubbling in her voice and neither of them could resist joining her.

"Just joking," Shepard added when the laughter died down. "Whoever designed this… this piece of shit was a sadist. Or a crazy scientist. Maybe both."

That was the first time he heard her swear, and lose formality completely. It happened in the middle of a battle with geth, no less. The humorous side to her he saw on the Citadel showed itself again, too. It felt so _good_ to serve under a commander who wasn't horribly stuck up like those in the turian military. His mandibles fluttered in excitement.

Garrus felt the tension drift away from the air as he returned his full attention to the holographic screen. Another wave of the robotic enemies dropped from the sky and advanced on their position.

They continued to fight through the twists and turns of Therum until they reached an impasse. The crack in the rock face was too narrow for the Mako to go through. They had to continue on foot, and Garrus felt no shame in admitting that he was glad. His stomach climbed halfway up his throat again.

"Let's see how good you are with your Overloads." Shepard turned to look at him, with a challenging smirk stretching her lips. "I believe you said something about frying shields in one go? I _took out_ geth troopers on Eden Prime with one zap, not just disabled their shields. Let's see how you manage."

Straightening, Garrus fought a strange feeling that settled in his stomach, and this time it wasn't nausea. He hadn't felt like this since… since forever!

"Game on, Commander," he replied, grinning. Truth be told, he had never tested his omni-tool on geth before. Still, he believed he could do it.

"Bullets can take them out just as well," Ashley stated. Her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened. Was that… jealousy?

There had to be a guide on human facial expressions and body language somewhere on the extranet. Garrus decided to look it up as soon as they were back on the _Normandy_.

The commander turned to Ashley. "This is between me and Vakarian. He is in delusion of being better with omni-tool than me. That is unacceptable." As she spoke, Shepard made an exaggerated pouting expression. Even Garrus could tell that it was fake.

Ashley seemed to pick up the hint, too, as she brightened and replied, "Just leave some for my gun."

Shepard's magic was at work again, defusing the situation in a moment. As they walked through the passage and the open area beyond, Garrus felt ready for any challenge that awaited them.

Soon they reached an open area crawling with geth troopers. Garrus and Ashley took cover immediately and Shepard… Shepard ran in the middle of the battlefield, tossing the mechanical enemies with biotic powers and frying them with zaps from her omni-tool.

Garrus had seen this before, even admired it. This time, his stomach rebelled again. What if she—

"My count's at five, big guy!" Shepard yelled without turning around. "How's yours?"

None. He hadn't killed a single enemy yet. Instead, he spent precious moments gawking at Shepard.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Rising partially from cover, Garrus targeted a geth trooper with his visor and initiated the overload sequence. The visor refused to lock on the geth he intended to attack, warning him of something in the dis—

"Sniper!" He shouted and aborted the sequence. Instead, he programmed the tool for an overcharge attack and reached for the rifle folded on his back.

Shepard dove behind the nearest rock. In the next moment, the air shimmered with the heat from the read beam extending from a tower in the distance. The round dug a hole in the ground where Shepard was a moment ago.

Not wasting time, he pressed his mandible against the stock of his rifle. The magnifier in his visor brought the geth sniper closer. It was partially obscured by the tower wall, but he had scored more difficult hits in the past. He could do it.

Holding his breath, Garrus hooked one of his talons around the trigger and aimed. With a slow release of the air through the nose, he squeezed it, and watched the geth disintegrate in his own red beam of destruction.

"Nice shot," Shepard said, grinning. "But it doesn't count. Omni-tool kills only."

He scoffed. "I'll catch up. Just wait and see."

"If _you're_ done flirting, maybe you'd like to know I gunned down the remaining geth." Ashley's voice startled him. One of Shepard's eyebrows twitched.

Weird things, those eyebrows. Always on the move. He _needed_ to look up that guide.

The ruin Joker spoke about turned out to be just beyond the sniper tower. There weren't any geth around, and Garrus felt regret for a moment. How was he going to catch up with Shepard now?

"Let's go in," Shepard commanded, "and hope that the geth haven't breached the ruin yet. Dr. T'Soni is just a civ—"

The roar of a geth dropship cut her out. Looking up, Garrus saw it fly overhead and drop a Colossus-class geth behind them.

"Shit!" he hissed and ran for cover. With a corner of his eye, he spotted Ashley and Shepard doing the same. This wasn't good time for playing hero.

He also spotted a very faint movement in the metal construction where they sought cover. Before he had the time to warn anyone, a spider-like geth revealed itself and jumped on Ashley, knocking her down, right in front of the Colossus.

There was no time to waste, even to hiss a curse. He started an Overload sequence, changing several parameters on the fly to make it stronger. Then he released it on the spider-geth at the same time when Shepard blew it off Ashley with a biotic throw. The force hurtled the geth several meters in the air before it landed, shooting off sparks from his attack.

The Colossus hummed with power as its attack neared the release. Ashley tried to clamber to her feet, but was obviously disoriented. Garrus rushed over to her, and flung her arm across his shoulders, helping her get up and reach safety. The energy blast sizzled past them, hitting empty air.

Ashley jumped away from him, reaching for her weapon in the same motion, as soon as they were out of the Colossus' reach. Her discomfort was almost amusing.

"I'll keep it distracted by draining its shields," Shepard muttered while working on her omni-tool. "You two pelt it with armor-piercing rounds. Oh, and that one counted."

Garrus grinned as he reached for his assault rifle and set it to shoot the rounds Shepard requested. That one was just the first. Many more would soon follow. There was no way he would lose this competition. It was a matter of turian honor.

Or was this about his personal honor?

The Colossus fell to the ground after a while, unable to withstand their combined attack. Garrus looked at Ashley and she returned the gaze. There was genuine surprise in her eyes, coupled with discomfort, and so palpable he didn't need a guide.

He chuckled inwardly. What? Did she expect he would leave her at the mercy of the mechanical beast just because they had a silly argument on the way here? Was it really that surprising that a turian would help a human, especially if they were teammates?

Garrus shook his head. There was more at work here than just different facial expressions and body language. As they made their way to the entrance of the ruins, he made a mental note to check on the human version of the Relay 314 incident.

* * *

The elevator stopped at the cargo bay level with a bump. Shepard lingered in the doorway for a few moments, holding in a cough. The fumes spewed out by the awakened volcano did nothing good for her throat.

The mission was a success. They reached Dr. T'Soni before the geth did, and brought her safe and sound to the _Normandy. _Too bad about the ruins that got blown up, but it wasn't her fault, really. What were the Protheans thinking when they built a complex in the middle of a fucking volcano? If only that good-for-nothing Council would see that.

As she stepped out of the elevator, Shepard spotted Garrus over at Ashley's station. The pieces of his disassembled rifle were scattered all over her table. As she watched, Garrus picked up a part and offered it to Ashley. The Gunnery Chief shook her head and stepped back. Garrus took a step forward and put the mod under her nose. Ashley shrugged and accepted it.

Did her trick with humor and friendly competition work? Were they bonding? If so, it was another success. It seemed like she wasn't a total failure as a commander.

But if it was a success, then what was this feeling that just stabbed her chest? It stung.

Feeling like an intruder, Shepard backtracked into the elevator and pushed the button for the crew deck. She could ask about the damage done to the Mako later.

Another coughing fit shook her as she passed through the mess hall. The door to Dr. Chakwas' office suddenly looked inviting. If molten rock melted sensors, as Joker kindly pointed out when they returned, what could it do to her mucous membrane?

"I've been expecting you, Commander." Dr. Chakwas accosted her without greeting. "Ashley and Garrus were already here, both with irritated throat. Glad to see they're finally working together."

"They were here together?" Shepard croaked. Her throat felt like it was on fire.

"Yes. I assume it is your handiwork? It was obvious they didn't get along from the start." As she spoke, the doctor produced a bottle of nasal spray and stuck it in Shepard's nostril. The commander felt a cool liquid pouring down her nose and throat, increasing the burning sensation for a while, until blissful numbness finally took over.

"I'm trying," Shepard mumbled, and not only because the numbness in her throat made it difficult to speak. "I'm trying to make this crew work."

"And you're doing a very good job, Commander."

Shepard looked at the gray-haired doctor, finding only sincere praise in the other woman's eyes. Still, she felt like fidgeting. Certain decisions she had to make recently were questionable, to say the least.

"How's the newest addition to our crew?" Shepard asked.

Chakwas' eyes flickered towards the door in the back for a second. "She is fine. Some throat irritation like the rest of you who were down there, plus fatigue and slight malnutrition. I gave her a mild sedative. Once she sleeps it off and has a good meal, she'll be as good as new."

Shepard nodded, sighing with relief. Dr. T'Soni had been trapped for several days before her team found her. It was good to see she didn't suffer serious damage.

Some would say that bringing the daughter of Matriarch Benezia on board was a tremendous risk, and one part of Shepard wanted to agree. Especially since it turned out that Liara T'Soni _didn't_ know how the Protheans went extinct. Still, Shepard trusted her instinct. It kept telling her that Liara would be a great asset to the crew.

But if she was wrong… If—No. If they were going to succeed, she couldn't doubt herself.

"We're done, Commander." Dr. Chakwas' voice shook her out of her reverie. "Is there anything else?"

Shepard rubbed her neck. It sounded tempting to confide her worries in someone. Maybe Dr. Chakwas wasn't so scary, after all.

"No, Doctor." She turned around to leave. "Thank you."

If they were to succeed, the crew shouldn't doubt its commander, either.

Just before she reached the door, Dr. Chakwas called her. "I almost forgot. Lieutenant Alenko was here earlier. His migraines are stronger than usual today. I think he's upset about something. You might want to check up on him."

"Thanks again, Doc. I will."


	5. Family Spirit

_Chapter 5: Family Spirit_

"I… I can't accept that." Ashley shook her head and took a step back. "It's an Armax heatsink, Garrus. Worth a small fortune. You can't just give it to me."

"It's a spare. I don't need it." Garrus took a step forward and put it in front of her face. "Take it. Please. It reminds me of my father."

"And… that's a bad thing?" Ashley blinked and stood frozen for a moment.

Garrus nodded. He didn't feel like elaborating that particular subject, though.

"If… If you insist." Ashley shrugged and accepted the device. "Wow. I never thought I'd own an Armax mod."

Garrus perked up his mandibles in amusement. The gleam in Ashley's eyes reminded him of a child playing with her favorite toy. The sense of joy, and the way of expressing it, was universal to all species, it seemed.

"Enjoy it." He hunched over the weapons inspection table and started putting his rifle back together. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it hurt to see the poor thing disassembled like that.

His rifle was part of him, tied to his spirit with a bond made of steel. When he fired a shot, it felt like the projectile left his fingertips, launched forward by sheer force of will. He wondered sometimes if that was how biotics felt when they used their powers.

"So… Your father." Ashley leaned her hip on the table and watched him with interest. "I guess you don't like him."

Garrus flinched and nearly dropped his sacred rifle. Sighing with resignation, he set it on the table. It was foolish to expect he'd get away without talking about his father.

"He's a good father by turian standards," he began. Spirits, why did it have to be so hard to explain the turian society to a non-turian? "It's just that I'm not a good turian."

Ashley nodded, waiting for him to continue. No, this definitely wasn't going to be easy.

"See, my father was big in C-Sec. I grew up watching him on the vids, in one news report or another. Like all good turian children, I was supposed to follow his footsteps."

"And you're not a good turian. I see." The corners of Ashley's lips turned upwards. "And yet Shepard plucked you out of C-Sec. Interesting."

Garrus straightened. Something resembling anger flashed in his mind, but he quickly subdued it. He continued, "I wanted to be a Spectre, but he talked me out of it. Instead… yeah. I ended up in C-Sec. That's the way our families work."

"You thought you could be a Spectre?"

Garrus shrugged. "Maybe it was a foolish dream, but he wouldn't even let me try for it. If I tried… If I took that training and it turned out I wasn't cut out for it, then I'd… I'd…" He stopped, panting. His fists curled into balls, talons digging into the palms. Nearly a decade had passed since that day, and he still couldn't think about it without seeing blue.

Unclenching his fists and taking a deep breath, Garrus forced himself to calm down. Any ideas of his Spectre candidacy were long gone, or at least they should be. Better to just go on with the story. "And when I joined C-Sec, things didn't improve. In fact, that was just the beginning of hell. Like I said, my father was a big name there, and that created all sorts of problems for me."

Ashley cocked her head to one side, frowning. "Wouldn't that make it easier for you?"

"No." He shook his head and had to look away for a second. "It wouldn't. Our society doesn't work that way. We're supposed to rise in ranks due to our competence, dedication and loyalty, not the fame of our parents."

"Does that even work?"

"It does, on our worlds. C-Sec is different. I learned that the hard way. I had… special treatment right from the start. See, my father was still active then, and he knew many people in the highest ranks of the Hierarchy… our government. Some of my turian colleagues thought that if they're nice to his kid, my father will… warm up to them."

Ashley's expression softened. "So, that's where the mods came from?"

He nodded. "Yeah. My father wasn't too pleased when he found out. It only made us argue more. Like _I_ did something to make them give those mods to me."

A grin played on Ashley's lips. "But they are very good mods, you have to admit!"

Chuckling, he relaxed his mandibles. He wasn't even aware he held them so close to his jaw. "Yeah. I know. They saved my sorry ass on more than one occasion."

Did… did Ashley just cheer him up on purpose? The eternally grumpy, turian-hating Ashley? What was the galaxy coming to?

"Do all turian children go through that?" Ashley turned serious again. "Abandoning their dreams to please their parents?"

"N-no." He wondered if Ashley heard how his voice broke. It was the primary one, so it was possible. "A turian is free to choose whatever profession he wants… unless his family happens to have military or C-Sec tradition."

"Ah," Ashley sighed. It was a simple sound, but he could tell she felt for him. "It had to be hard for you."

"Y-yeah." This time, a deaf hanar could hear how his voice broke. In all these years, ever since he turned fifteen and joined turian military because he had to, no one had ever admitted that being the son of Torel Vakarian wasn't easy.

Then again, he had never tried discussing it with a human. As newcomers to the galaxy, they had a different perspective, not burdened by millennia of tradition. Now, the gentle smile on Ashley's lips and the shine of compassion in her eyes begged him to open up and say what he never dared to.

It seemed like he was getting better at reading humans without an extranet guide.

He took a deep breath and looked past Ashley, focusing on an imaginary point somewhere far away. "He was never there for me… for _us_. Always on one case or another. He never even saw my sister hatch, because he was away fighting in the… in the war…"

Something told him it wouldn't be smart to continue. He trailed off even before Ashley straightened and jumped away from him, her eyes turning into real ice. If looks could kill, he'd be a dead turian.

Of course. He didn't have to say it. Anyone with at least one working neuron could tell _what _war it was. And it appeared that Ashley had a pretty strong opinion about that war.

Forcing himself to look straight into those steely eyes, he continued before she had any chance to speak. "See, that's the bad side to our society. When the Primarch of Palaven says, 'Go to war', you aren't asked for opinion. You reply with, 'Yes, sir' and you go. That's what most turians do. They may think that the order doesn't make any sense, but they go."

"So, you're saying that's the reason why your people wanted to eradicate mine?" Her eyes didn't soften even a little as he kept staring into them. "Someone in the - what did you say, Hierarchy? – had a bad day, and we paid the price in blood? No one objected?"

"That's… that's just how it is…" He trailed off again, looking away from her eyes. There was something else in them than cold anger and hatred, something….

Suddenly, he knew what it was. Sorrow. Grief. His mandibles flapped in surprise. He never really thought that…

What a fool he was.

"Look," he began again, "I don't know what made the Hierarchy to make the decision to wipe out humans. I was little more than a hatchling then – my carapace was still soft. I only remember my mother staring out the window for hours, holding Solana in her arms, praying to the spirits to give my father strength and courage to return home. I don't think he really _wanted_ to go to war. I mean, I _hope_ he wanted to stay with his little hatch—" His voice broke again. He didn't really _know_. It never sounded important enough to ask while he still talked to his father, and now he might never have the chance. He didn't see them patching up things anytime soon.

Ashley's expression softened as he spoke. Pain was the only thing left in her eyes now that the steely glare disappeared.

His father returned eventually, safe and sound. What if Ashley's father or grandfather (he wasn't entirely sure how old she was) didn't?

It seemed like he had just learned a great deal about the human version of the Relay 314 Incident without research.

"I… I never thought about the war that way," Ashley spoke at last. "About how it affected turian families. It's… it's… same everywhere, isn't it?" The last part came out with a deep sigh.

Now he knew for certain. Ashley's family suffered in the war. He didn't know how, and he didn't dare to ask, not yet, but he knew they did.

"I guess it is," he replied. Heavy air floated between Ashley and him again. And they just started to bond and share.

_Shepard,_ he thought suddenly. _What would Shepard do?_

She'd make them laugh and bond again, dispersing the heavy clouds with her magic touch of command. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything to say. He just didn't have her gift.

"So, hatchlings?" Ashley broke the silence first. "I never realized you guys come out of eggs."

It felt very tempting to make a remark about hairless primates, but he managed to hold his tongue in. Ashley gave him a chance to divert the conversation from hurdles and rocks, and he didn't intend to screw it up. Instead, he said, "We're birds, human. Your kind calls us that for a reason."

It worked. Ashley chuckled and said, "I trust you. Both here and on the battlefield. Don't think otherwise. It's just… the war is difficult to talk about for me."

He nodded, picking up his rifle and storing it in the locker. "Well," he hesitated for a moment."I'd better go check on the death machine—uh, Mako. Therum wasn't kind to it."

Time to return to his regular duties. Besides, better to leave while they were still on good terms, before he had a chance to screw up again. He turned around and crossed the hangar.

"Garrus?" Ashley called when he nearly made it to the Mako.

He turned around.

"Thanks for the mod."

He nodded again and turned his attention to the toolbox he kept near his console. Picking a random tool from the box, he toyed with it to keep his hands busy without actually doing anything. The conversation with Ashley kept repeating itself in his head over and over again.

Despite the difficult road they ended up on, the talk with Ashley made him feel better. She made it clear that she trusted him, and understood his woes with his father. He couldn't ask for anything more. It made him feel accepted. Part of the crew. Part of the ship itself.

Any place could feel like home, an old turian saying said, if it had the right spirits. Was that at work here? Did Shepard and her crew attract the spirits it took to make this place more than a ship – a home?

Shepard.

At the thought of her name, Garrus put the tool back in the box. He felt the need to talk to her, to share his worries with _her. _As she was his commander, he valued her opinion the most.

Not thinking any further, Garrus put the box away and took the elevator to the crew deck. There he saw the Commander and froze still.

She sat with Kaidan Alenko. They talked and laughed, forgetting about the cups with dark brown liquid in front of them. And their hands, laid across the table in a casual manner, were nearly touching.

He didn't need a guide for this, either. Turians did the same when they wanted to… show affection. What he _needed_ a guide for was the answer to the question why he felt uneasy while he watched them.

Garrus slipped back into the elevator, hoping he didn't draw any attention to himself. Fixing the Mako seemed like a much better idea than thinking about what he saw.

* * *

Shepard spotted Kaidan sitting at one of the mess hall tables with a cup of coffee as soon as she got out of the medbay. He sat with his eyes closed, hands pressed against his temples. The migraine Chakwas spoke about must have been bad.

Grabbing her own cup of coffee, she sat across him. "Kaidan," she called, keeping her voice low.

His eyes flew open and he let out a small gasp. "Commander!"

So much about not startling him. "I'm sorry," she said. "Dr. Chakwas said you looked more distressed than usual. I thought… maybe you want to talk?"

He blinked several times before replying. "Uh, I was just worried about you—I mean you and the entire search and rescue team, ma'am. Joker told us he had to pick you up in the middle of an active volcano. It sounded urgent." He ran his hand through his jet black hair, hesitating again for a moment. "My implants… go on a fritz when I'm stressed out, that's all. Good to see you're back safe and sound."

Kaidan moved his hand like he wanted to run it through his hair again, but stopped in mid-movement and laid it on the table. Shepard caught herself wanting him to see it. She liked how his fingers dug trails in the field of darkness atop his head. Her own hand found itself on the table fairly close to Kaidan's, but still far enough to avoid any contact.

Oh, dear god. What was happening to her? This was worse than ogling his butt in the Council Chamber, because he at least had his back turned on her then.

Shaking her head, Shepard stopped staring at his hair, hopefully before he noticed anything. "Good to know my crew cares," she said, trying to cover embarrassment with a quick smile. "It was tense, but Joker really pulled through. Remind me to be more tolerant of his jokes in the future."

Kaidan chuckled at this, a smile appearing on his lips for the first time since she joined him. Her humor-therapy worked on him, too.

"We're all fine," she continued, "but what about you? You looked like you're still in pain when I joined you."

"Dr. Chakwas gave me my usual medication. It still hasn't kicked in properly." He shrugged. "L2 implants. You don't know how lucky you are to avoid them, Commander."

Shepard froze for a moment, but wouldn't let the memories from the past burst to the surface of her mind. Searching for something, anything to take her mind off the burning farm, she said, "I've heard they took all early biotics to Jump Zero. I avoided both that and L2 implants. I guess it can pay off to be discovered late, huh? I didn't even know I had the ability until I turned sixteen."

Good. She could say it without breaking down. It was about damn time.

Kaidan closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "One day I came home from school," he began, avoiding eye contact. "Turns out we had guests – guys with sunglasses in black suits. Working for Conatix, they said."

"Black suits and sunglasses?" Shepard had to chuckle. "Sounds like something from an old sci-fi vid."

"Yeah, I thought so too. Only it turned out that a bad sci-fi vid was about to become my reality. They took me from my home and brought me to Brain Camp – sorry, Biotic Acclimation and Temperance, or BAaT – on Jump Zero."

"Brain Camp?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound very fun."

"It wasn't," he added without hesitation, looking her in the eyes now. "It's not like they outright experimented on us… but we were lab rats. Add in bad teachers and some casualties… and you get a shut down project that nobody likes to talk about."

"Casualties? It was that bad?"

"It happens when you hire a wrong teacher." Kaidan lifted his hand from the table and pressed it against his forehead. "How about I tell you the whole story when my head isn't falling apart in pain?"

Shepard got the feeling that there was more to this than Kaidan's headache, but decided not to press the issue. A good leader knew how to make people open up without prying too much. She nodded.

Kaidan laid his hand back on the table, a little closer than before. His fingers brushed against hers for a fleeting moment, but Shepard felt it like a shower of sparks. And she didn't feel like pulling her hand back.

What was happening to her, indeed? She didn't flirt with her crewmates. And when they tried to flirt with her, she'd withdraw. However, right at this moment, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the gleam in Kaidan's dark orbs.

"Anyways, BAaT was shut down and the Alliance-sponsored Ascension program took over." Kaidan shrugged, trying to keep his face calm, but one corner of his lips kept twitching. "Conatix bankrupted soon after. That's it. The great story of my biotic beginnings." He grinned. "Now it's your turn."

"My turn for what?" Kaidan's question returned her back to reality. He didn't… He couldn't possibly want the story of _her_ biotic beginnings. She reached for her cup of coffee to buy her some time, but it was cold and forgotten. No help there.

"Come on, every human biotic has a story to tell."

Maybe it was the sparks she felt earlier, maybe it was something else, but Shepard found herself speaking without her brain's permission. "My hand flashed blue while I was hiding from the batarians on Mindoir. That's the first time it manifested. I guess it got triggered by panic."

"Aw, crap!" Kaidan pushed the chair away from the table, panic spreading across his face. "I didn't mean…"

"It's alright, Kaidan." Shepard felt surprised at her calmness. "You were right; each of us has a story to tell."

She smiled at him, trying to reassure him that everything was indeed alright. Somehow it _was_. Talking about Mindoir never felt easier. She didn't know what he did to her, but it worked.

"We both got to play in a bad sci-fi vid," he said, drawing his chair closer again. "My plot was about conspiracy theories and yours about alien invaders."

"I guess we have that in common," she said, glad that he smiled again.

He chuckled again. "It seems so. It's a start."

A start? She liked that. Kaidan's presence chased the ghosts of Mindoir away for now, filling the gaping hole in her chest left by the loss of her family with warmness. It felt tempting to imagine spending more time with the dark-haired biotic, and shut them up forever. Still, she wouldn't give him too much, too early. It just wasn't her style.

"I better go check if Dr. T'Soni woke up." She stood up, resisting the urge to brush her fingers against him "by accident". God, why did she have to be so terribly rusty at flirting? She had no clue if that was appropriate at this point or not. "Commander duty calls."

And now this. She just couldn't resist putting him in his place, could she? What if she screwed up… whatever it was that formed between them?

"I understand, Commander." Kaidan's smile didn't fade in the slightest. Good. "I've taken enough of your personal time today already."

* * *

**Yeah, yeah, it's in canon that turians give birth to live young, but I've always seen them as birds, and as birds they LAY EGGS. So, eggs they lay!**


End file.
